Development Guide

Table Of Contents
Appendix A
Feature comparison of the runtime application
with
FileMaker Pro
When you double-click the FileMaker Pro application icon to start the
application, the New Database dialog box opens and you can choose
a database file. When you start a FileMaker
Pro runtime application,
the primary bound database file opens automatically.
Other key differences between the runtime application and
FileMaker
Pro include the following:
1 All the database design features have been removed or hidden in
the runtime application.
This includes the commands on the Manage submenu, Layout mode,
and ScriptMaker.
1 Custom functions and custom menus created with FileMaker Pro
Advanced will work in the runtime application, although users of the
runtime application cannot modify or create new custom functions or
custom menus.
1 Some other menu commands have been removed from the runtime
application.
For example, you can’t use the runtime application to create, open, or
close a database. (Bound runtime database files must contain a custom
button or script to close or open other files. There is no close
command on a runtime database window.)
1 FileMaker Pro Help is not available in the runtime application.
However, you can use the custom menu feature to display customized
Help text that you create.
1 Some tools are not available on the toolbars in Browse mode, Find
mode, and Preview mode in the runtime application.
1 External function plug-ins can be enabled in the Preferences dialog
box.
1 Although the XML Data filter appears as an option for the Convert
File script step, you can’t convert XML files using this script step in a
runtime application.
FileMaker Pro File Sharing, serving a database on the web, or
communicating with a Java applet requires FileMaker
Pro or
FileMaker
Pro Advanced. You can, however, use a compatible version
of FileMaker Server to serve runtime solution files.
1 Apple events are supported but OLE automation is not supported
in the runtime application on Windows machines.
1 Runtime applications cannot be shared over a network.
1 Runtime applications do not include the ability to Save/Send
Records as Adobe PDF files.
1 FileMaker Pro Advanced features are not available in the runtime
application.
A runtime database can, however, be opened in either FileMaker Pro
or FileMaker Pro Advanced. The full functionality of these
applications will be enabled, except if full access privileges have been
removed.
1 Runtime applications don’t support external SQL data sources.